Forever
by h4thss
Summary: "Seduce my mind and you can have my body, find my soul and I'm yours forever." - Anonymous But what if the captor of Gail's soul choose to let go? Will she move on or will she fight for it?
1. Chapter 1

Gail's POV

It's been exactly 4 years since your epic fail engagement party. A lot of things have changed. You are not a barista anymore. You are now a respected training officer. Your family and friends said that you are better now than before. You are more mature, motivated, and passionate. You are Gail 2.0, they say. You think so too but once a year you look back to the day that she left, the day of your engagement party. Every once a year, you think about 'What if's'. If only you've known it'll be the last day you will lay eyes on her, you would have savored it, never let her out of your sight, and never let her go. But you don't, so here you are, in your dark apartment, on your couch, holding a bottle of tequila, reminiscing that day. It feels so ironic. Yes, you have a _better_ career now. A _better_ life, but you know you would trade all of your tomorrows for that one single day. If living without her is the price for this _better_ life, then you don't want any of this.

\- START OF FLASHBACK-

 _"Gail, dear, where is Holly? Could you look for her? I want to introduce both of you to my boss, Superintendent McCrane." You rolled her eyes and went off to look for your fiancée._

 _You still can't believe that you will be married in two days. Time really does fly by so fast. Well, it does when you always hope for time to go slower when you're with Holly. You can't help the smile creeping up your face, reminiscing the day you first saw her. She has the typical nerd look, big eye-glasses, big backpack, tower of books at hand, and lots and lots of pen. If anyone told you that you will marry her someday, you would have laughed your ass off. You two have nothing in common. She is a stick-to-the-rules kind of girl and, obviously, very studious. As for you, you are laid back and love breaking the rules. You are considered a delinquent…a popular delinquent. It is not that you are vain or anything but you really are popular at school. Any guy would love to have a chance to eat with you during lunch breaks, or even just sit beside you during classes. You and her are very very different. Maybe that's what pulled you two together, opposite poles attract each other. Now here you are, two day away from getting married._

 _You are excited to marry her, to call her your wife, you are, but you can't help the feeling of anxiety creeping up inside you. In two days, you will be married with the promise that you will be together, forever. There is no turning back. A lot of 'what if's' running through your mind. 'What if 2 years in a relationship is still too early for marriage?' 'What if she will eventually realize that you are too much for her? That she can't handle your baggage' 'What if she finds someone better? Someone who loves sports, books, documentary movies, and a vegetarian.' Every time you think of all these what if's, your stomach turns, like you're going to be sick. You take a deep breath and try to relax._

 _You saw your mother signaling you to look for Holly, so you resume your search. You look around the reception area but found no sign of her. You spotted Chris and approached him. "Hey, Chris. Have you seen Holly?" "No, isn't she supposed to be with you?" He answered, in his not so sweet tone. You cringed at his response. It's not that he doesn't like Holly. He just has a huge crush on you since college so Holly will always be a competition for him. He is a totally sweet, chivalrous guy. He smiles through all your snark that is why he is one of your closest friends. Whenever you need someone to talk to, and Holly is not around, you go to him, but Holly is his greatest competition so…they are not really friends. "What do you think?" you retort back, having no time to deal with his bitter mood. "But hey, thanks anyway. I'll just check if she's in the balcony." You added sarcastically._

 _You went to the balcony. There are a couple people out there but no sign of Holly. The restroom? No. The garden? No. The pool? No. Coat room? No. You even check the kitchen but there is still no Holly. You wander around the reception area again to see if she came back without you noticing but still no success. You double check all the areas again but still haven't found Holly. You are starting to worry. It is very unlikely for Holly to be missing in action at this very event. She was very excited yesterday. She won't stop talking about it and she really worked hard on the preparation of this day. She is the one who collaborated with the planner. She even checked the venue yesterday to make sure that everything will be perfect._

 _You try to remember when did you last saw her. Oh, yeah, she was sitting your table. You two were drinking champagne. You excuse yourself and told her that you are going to the restroom and when you return she's not there anymore. Thinking that she just entertained some guest, you brush it off and went to talk to your friends._

 _Your tried calling her but her phone seems to be off. The feeling of worry increases in every minute. You pondered if you should tell both your families. It will surely cause panic and if it is just a false alarm it'll be a very embarrassing scene, but you need help looking for her. And so, you grab Steve by the arm and drag him to a more secluded area. "What the fuck, Gail! I'm talking to…" He stop his protest when he saw the look on your face and concern sudden showed on his. "What's wrong?" You look around to make sure that no one's listening or watching. You don't know how to explain the situation without panicking, so you just drop the bomb. "Holly is missing." Steve's brows furrowed. "What do you mean missing?" "She's missing, Steve! I looked everywhere for her. Everywhere! I check the balcony, garden, pool, even the kitchen. She's not here. I can't find her. I hate to think that something might have happened to her but I can't think of any other reason why she would be missing. I tried calling her but her phone was off. Steve, help me look for her. Please. If anything happens to her I don't what I'll do. I…" Steve cut off your panic rambling. "Gail! Relax, ok? We'll find her. I'll help you find her." You are trembling and sweating. The fear that you were trying to contain this whole time was coming out now. A lot of scenarios run through your mind. You may not be part of the police force but being part of a family of police officers made you aware of how ugly this world is. Aware of the possible things that could happen to Holly on this very peaceful event. "Did you tell anyone about this?" You shook your head, unable to utter another word. "Ok. I'll look for her. You need to relax, Gail. Panicking won't help. Why don't you go to your room first and try to pull yourself together. Like I said, I'll look for her. If there really is no sign of her anywhere I'll tell her parents. I'll try to handle any possible panic here. I'll try to handle everything here, ok? I won't let anything happen to her. I won't let anything ruin this day for the two of you." He kissed your forehead and stroked your arm to comfort you. You gave him a tight-lipped smile. "Go to your room now." You look back at the people in the area and found Holly's parents chatting with other guests. You feel a pain on your chest. You start to walk to your room and hold back the tears threatening to come out. Thinking what would you say to Holly's parents if anything bad happens to her, and it is putting you on the edge. The mere thought of the possible danger Holly could be in, is killing you inside._

 _You swipe your keycard and opened the door. As you enter the room, the first thing you notice is that the light was left turned on. You are sure that Holly turned it off before you two left the room. The cabinet doors and some drawers were also left open. You enter further into the room and heard a crack under your boots. You looked down and saw the broken glass. It looks like a broken champagne flute. Your heart is pounding inside your chest. Your mind is running a hundred miles per hour on the possible scenarios that could have happened in the room. "Holly?" You tried calling out. There was no response. You were trying to think of a reason of why Holly will be in your room when she should have been downstairs, enjoying the party. You approach the dresser and notice a note beside a bottle of champagne. You picked it up and read it. You feel that your world have been shred to pieces. The last string holding you together were now cut and you fall apart._

 _'Gail,_

 _I love you and I really want to be with you, forever, but I can't force you to feel the same and do something you will regret in the end, so I'm letting you go. Goodbye Gail._

 _–Holly'_

 _Tears heavily flowed down your cheeks. You read it again and again, not believing anything it says but the mere idea of it broke you down._

\- END OF FLASHBACK-

You can still remember the pain. How you lost your essence in life. How dark your world has been when the only light that showed you the way was gone. How angry you were at her for being a coward and leaving with just a note. You deserve better than that. Were you not worthy of the trouble? Don't you deserve an explanation? Don't you have a say in the relationship? It seems that you don't. She just left you with the goddamn note. No reason as to why she left. No phone call. No heads up. No sign. Nothing. You're angry at her, so angry but still, after all these years, you know you still love her. You hate that you love her so much. You feel pathetic that you're here in this dark apartment celebrating the day Holly left. Celebrating the beginning of your dark era. The day you lost yourself.


	2. Chapter 2

Gail's POV

It has been a very busy day for 15 Division. 2 homicide cases were opened early in the morning. As if that was not enough, you and Andy were on your way to another possible homicide. A call was received stating that an unknown car was parked on their driveway and the driver is unconscious.

Upon reaching the destination, you notice the small crowd, where the car is parked. Andy pushed through the crowd and tried to clear the scene. You went at the backside of the patrol car to get the barricade tape just in case it's another crime scene.

Andy knocked at the driver's window while you took the time to look over the car. It's an old blue Toyota Rav4 with a slight damage and scratches at the rear part. The car was so dusty, like it hasn't been cleaned for months. You noted the plate number in case you'll need to run it on the system.

There seems to be no response from the driver, as you see Andy get the car door opener from the patrol car and shift the lock. The strong smell of alcohol hits your nose, as Andy open the door. She checked the pulse and confirmed that the driver is still alive.

"Ma'am?" Andy said while gentle shaking the driver but the driver is still not responding. You're actually not shocked by this. The driver really looks like a mess and the smell…ugh! She's totally knocked out from the world while surrounded by a sea of beer bottles. It's a bit exaggerated but there really are a lot of empty bottles lying around.

Knowing that there won't be any progress in trying to wake her up, Andy checks for any ID's while you run the plate number on the system. The car is registered to Sara Maxwell. She really must be a mess because the image looks a bit like her but seems to be not her. They are both long-haired brunette and tan-skinned.

"Her name is Ann Maxwell." Andy said while walking towards you.

"Well, that explains why they look somewhat alike. The car must be her sister's, Sara Maxwell. Unfortunately, Sara is currently living in Ontario." You run Ann Maxwell in the system and check for her and her family's address. It turns out that she's the only one in Toronto and the rest of her relatives are in Ontario. Andy tried to wake her up again but still unsuccessful.

"Can we just splash water on her face?" Andy looked at you like it was the craziest idea she has ever heard.

"What?! You want to waste your time with drunky right here? Knock yourself out."

Back at the station, as expected, the place is busier than usual. The people are either focus on their desk or walking in and out the station. The pressure got higher when one of the victims, on the homicide case, was discovered to be a nephew of a congressman. You and Andy were called back to help with the investigation.

You greeted Chris on your way in while he made his way out of the station. He didn't seem to hear you and continued his way out hurriedly. Then you saw Traci.

"Nash!" You called. She looked up from her desk.

"You're back faster than I expected."

"We just drop the drunken women to her apartment and left the address where her car was parked. Luckily her roommate was at home. We could have made it back earlier if goodie McNally here stopped trying to wake her up and listen to my genius idea. She even helps in tucking her to bed." The irritation evident on your voice.

You then look at McNally and said, mocking. "You should have kissed her. You know, true love's kiss always solves everything." Traci just shakes her head and chuckled while Andy glared at Gail.

"I need one of you to deliver this evidence to Dr. Ray and wait for any result. The other one will help in tracking down possible suspects. We need to close this case a.s.a.p."

You said quickly "I'll track the loser." At the same time Andy said "I'll help you track the suspect." The both of you glared at each other.

And Andy followed-up with "You like gory things. The morgue is like heaven to you."

"Why? Are you scared McNally?" A smirk plastered at your face, challenging Andy. You really won't mind making a run to the morgue but messing with Andy is part of your pass time. Before Andy could retort back, another officer approach Traci and hand over a folder.

"Detective Nash, here are the results from Dr. Stewart."

You feel like your brain suddenly experience a locked down. ' _Stewart. Stewart. Stewart. Holly Stewart.'_ That name is like a virus corrupting your brain and you just froze. You have no idea what gave it away but Andy surely noticed.

"Gail! Gail!" You heard Andy call while snapping her fingers in front of you. You just look at her without moving your head, and gave her an intense glare. Traci pushed the evidence in your hand distracting you in killing Andy using your eyes. "Just bring this to the morgue, please. I still have another case to attend to."

You just sigh and made your way out when Oliver stopped you. "You're going to the morgue, right?" You frowned and replied cautiously. "Uhm…yes, Sir."

"Ok. Good. Bring the new rookie with you. He needs to have a little field trip there." Your eyes suddenly widen at this and tried to protest. "But Sir…"

"No but's Peck." Oliver waived at the rookie. "Wills! Come here." The rookie approach hurriedly. "Go with Officer Peck to the morgue." Knowing that there's no way you could win in this; you just express your utmost displeasure by letting out a loud exasperated sound of frustration.

It's been hours now and you're still standing in the lab waiting for any result from Dr. Ray. You already look at all the displays you could find inside, just to entertain yourself. It's not that Dr. Ray is a quiet and serious type of person; in fact, he loves to talk about anything and everything. You're just not interested in anything he's saying. He's reminds you of Chloe the only difference was the glitters and flowers missing in the background.

As for the rookie, Dave? Craig? Jake? Well, he's having a hard time keeping still. Every hour, without fail, he gets out buying a coffee or a snack. At first, he responds to whatever Dr. Ray was talking about until he finally gets the gist that the doctor gets more and more enthusiastic when he gets attention. You could have warned him but of course you didn't, there's always a first time to everything and as his TO it is part of his training.

Another hour had pass, Dave was out again. Dr. Ray is still talking to himself. It truly amazed you how he could talk and talk for hours without needing a drink or break.

"Ooohh…lovely lady. Her parents were so lucky to have her." The doctor said.

"She's smart, passionate, strong, and driven. And she is very careful at her work, very professional, a perfectionist. I'm very sure she'll be successful in this field, don't you think, officer?"

Very grateful at Dave's perfect timing as he returned with two cups of coffee. You excused yourself to drink it outside the lab. That didn't stop him from talking. He just talked louder and carried on with the 'conversation'.

"Maybe you should date her. Oh! I just remember that wouldn't do. Too bad, she has a girlfriend, that arrogant officer from 27 Division, I think. I really don't know what she saw in her." Dave looked at you confused and whispered.

"Date who?" You shrugged.

"Don't know. Don't care." Unfortunately, Dr. Ray doesn't just have a big mouth but also a sharp ear.

"Dr. Stewart, the lovely new forensic pathologist."

You froze again and weren't able to hear anything else after the mention of the bomb known as Stewart. ' _Stewart! Again!'_ You can't help but groan on this. You're starting to hate this 'Dr. Stewart'. Actually, you already hate her just because she is a Stewart, but people keep on mentioning her and it just fuels up your hate.

"Oh, Yeah! I saw her a while ago. She's hot. Wait. She's open for dating?" Dave eagerly replied, suddenly interested. You can't help but to roll your eyes.

' _If the doctor suggested that she and I date, it means she is most likely not into you, idiot._ '

You're truly amazed how men can automatically filter whatever's been said and interpret it to their advantage. You ignored their 'manly' talk, about this Dr. Stewart, and just enjoy your time with your best friend, coffee.

It's been a stressful day indeed. Only one homicide was closed today, one more to go. To add up to the stress, Chris seems to be avoiding you all day. At first, you thought that it was just because of the busy shift but when you both had a break time, you tried to talk to him then he said some lame excuse and took off like his butt's on fire. But...that wasn't the main event of your day.

No it wasn't.

Actually, you could care less of how Chris acted. You don't. The highlight of your day was enduring hearing Dr. Stewart this and Dr. Stewart that, for the entire shift. The. Entire. Shift.

What's the deal?! She suddenly became the top celebrity. The new rookie and Dr. Ray seem to have a mutual agreement to torture you and never stopped talking about her. Hoping that it will end upon returning to the station, you happily left the morgue but boy were you wrong. So wrong.

The detectives kept praising her, including Traci, and saying that she could be the best forensic pathologist the department ever had. That she is competitive, meticulous, hardworking…blah blah blah. Ugh! She seems to be the key in solving the homicide case today. Even the other officers are talking about her. The main topic revolves around from 'She's so hot' to 'Is she single? She can't be single. She's too hot to be single'.

So, penny was the last place you want to spend your night in. You want to avoid hearing another conversation about the brilliant Dr. Stewart. And now you find yourself in another bar a bit farther from any stations. You just want to forget about the woman that, intentionally or not, came back to haunt you. You feel pathetic. Very much pathetic. 4 years. 4 fucking years, and the mere mention of her name shakes you.

After that life turning event, speaking of her name became taboo. It was like everyone around you, who knows your past, had a mutual agreement to never talk about her or even mention her name or just say and do anything that they know will remind you of her, ever again.

As part of your stress relieving tradition, you got yourself a couple of tequila shots and a double of jack and coke. The alcohol seems to be getting into your head. You feel your body get lighter, so light that you were starting to hallucinate. This day got to you more than you thought it did. You thought that drinking your way out of it will help you forget.

You cursed, cursed so loud that you caught some patron's attention, because your therapy doesn't seem to work the same way it always does. You are here trying to forget but instead you are seeing her. Seeing Stewart, _your_ Stewart, not Dr. Stewart, whoever she is, right across from you, she is sitting at the bar with another woman. Specifically. Flirting with another woman.

She has her arm resting at the back of another woman's chair. She obviously was having fun. You're here being miserable because of the mere mention of her name but there she is enjoying, laughing, and totally not being miserable.

You can feel your blood boiling at record time. As if that wasn't enough to agitate you, the other woman touch her shoulder and stroke her hair. _'I'm the only one who can caress her hair. No one else is allowed to. No one!_ ' The knuckles on your closed fist were turning white. You clenched your teeth and glared at the couple trying hard not to relive your plan on the most painful death the woman can experience and how you will dispose her body after.

So far, you were doing well in restraining, but it seems like the woman has a death wish and kissed Holly. _'She didn't just do that. No she didn't.'_ You stood up and made you way to them, slightly wobbling. Not caring about the things or people you hit.

"Don't touch her you bitch!"

The whole bar turned silent, except from the music playing, on the background. The couple turned to you then looked at each other. Suddenly an argument started between them.

"Who is she?"

"I don't know."

"I knew it! You were cheating on me!"

The argument continued until the woman slap Holly and left. You were still standing there with your mouth hanging. _'What the hell just happened?'_ Then Holly looked straight at you and glared. And then everything started to sink in.

 _'Fuck. She's not Holly. She looks like her with the glasses, the hair, the skin, but…shit. Shit. Shit!'_

"What the hell is wrong with you? Who are you?"

You did what you do best. Run. You made your grand escape and hurriedly stop a taxi. You opened the door and entered but as you were about to close the door a hand hold the frame and open it wide. There she is again, Holly's look-alike.

"Hey. You official ruined my date and relationship today and you think you can just run like that. Nope! I don't care about your issue or anything but you owe me big time."

You really must be drunk right now 'cause she was able to easily grab your phone right from your hand. She typed something, toss it back to you and then closed the door. You slam you head on the head rest, cursing. This day just got from bad to worse. You're dreading to just get home and sleep, just end this day of misery.


	3. Chapter 3

The area of 15 Division has been quiet for the past few weeks, aside from the homicide case on the murder of a congressman's nephew. No additional dead bodies or body parts were found. Unfortunately for 27 Division, the past weeks have been hell. Rumor has it that the new pathologist, Dr. Stewart, revealed her true colors. The negative side of her perfectionism showed. One wrong move and then BOOM! Three officers from the 27 Division already experienced her wrath. Even a detective wasn't lucky enough to escape. She's still a 'celebrity' but on a different light. At first, almost every officer volunteer in delivering evidence, but now, she's like a plague that should be avoided at all cost. This really made Gail's day. No more 'Dr. Stewart is very lovely' or 'Dr. Stewart is so pleasant', but there are still 'Dr. Stewart is hot' and stuff. Ugh.

 _'Oh! It truly is a great day, aside from Chris avoiding me. Hm! Whatever. It is still a wonderful day. No hard feeling Dr. S., whoever you may be.'_ Gail internally rejoiced. But, alas, all great things must come to an end, and Gail's wonderful mood was about to go downhill.

"Gail!" Traci called, quite in a hurry. She looks like a mess. She's overly stressed about the case.

"I need you to give this evidence to Dr. Ray, wait for the result. It's for the homicide case on the congressman's nephew." As she push the evidence to her hand.

"Oh! Oliver also said to bring the rookie, Officer Wills, with you." Gail let out a huff match with an exaggerated roll of her eyes.

Traci ignored her and left quickly. Who could blame her? Any detective who handles that case will be on a lot of pressure. To make matters worse, there was still no solid evidence found to issue an arrest warrant for their suspect.

"Come on, rookie! Nash needs the result asap." Gail hollered at the rookie who unbelievably got the seatbelt hooked on his duty belt.

"I don't have time for your lame rookie excuse to not enter the morgue. Get your ass moving or I'm gonna make sure you'll be in desk duty for a **month**."

He was suddenly 'unhooked' to the belt like he was burned. Gail rolled her eyes and walk to the morgue's entrance. She flashed her badge to the security guard and asked for Dr. Ray.

"Dr. Ray is on sick leave today. He caught a terrible cold."

"Isn't he the one on call today?"

"Yes, but he informed the chief a bit late, so the stations weren't informed yet." Gail nodded in understanding and excuses herself. She dialed Traci's number, which was answered immediately. Gail informed her of the current dilemma in which she definitely wasn't happy to hear.

"Who are the available pathologist?" Traci asked irritably. Gail forwarded the question to the guard, who showed her the list.

"Dr. Fanco, Dr. Stewart, and..."

"Dr. Stewart! Perfect! Give her the evidence. I'll brief her about the case later." Gail frowned at this.

The fated day has come for her to meet the infamous Dr. Stewart and she is not amused by it at all. The guard gave her the direction to Dr. Stewart's office. She walked through the hallway with Dave on tow.

As they got near the office, Gail heard a very familiar voice.

"I'll see you tonight?" Gail froze, suddenly stopped at her tracks. She will never forget that voice. Not in a thousand years.

' _I'm Hallucinating again, am I? But I'm not drunk. It can't be her.'_ Dave, who's following her, absentmindedly, bump at her.

"Officer Peck?" Confused by the sudden halt. She started to approach the office again when….

"Of course, my place?" She heard another woman say.

 _'Another woman. There. Is. Another. Woman.'_ There's a really weird feeling inside her stomach. Gail's teeth clenched. She slowly approached the door.

"What's going -" Gail glared at Dave and automatically shuts his mouth.

"Ok. Take care." She heard Holly say. Oh, that voice. Sweet, husky voice of her. Hearing that voice after a long time brought shiver to Gail's body.

Gail cautiously peeked inside an like the usual unfortunate tv drama, Gail saw an event that felt like a stab right through her chest, and will now be Gail's most painful memory. Holly kissed another woman. It was just a simple kiss peck, not too intimate, no lingering, no tongue, no lip biting and all, but that's not the issue. What matters to her is that Holly kissed someone else. It seems that it wasn't enough torture for her, Holly smiled warmly at this woman, the smile that was only meant for her. And like A cherry on top of her cake of misery, the smile was match with the loving eyes that will turn any stone hearted bitch soft.

She has moved on from Gail. After her grand exit to Gail's life, she returns again with a bang! Gail knows she was not meant to see that. If she just had knocked early, rather than peek, she wouldn't have to witness that but she did and it shred her heart, her already shattered heart. Holly seems to be totally fine while she's still a mess.

Gail didn't known how long she was standing by the door speechless but Holly's voice brought her back to reality.

"Gail?" Their eyes met. After 4 fucking years, their eyes meet again. Clear blue pained eyes met the soulful, brown ones. Gail tried to take in Holly's face as much as she can. To update the image imprinted on her brain. To register the change in Holly's hair, cheek, eyes, lips. The beautiful face 4 years ago was still there. If only there is a way to stop time right at this moment, but their silent moment of reunion was disturbed earlier than expected.

"Hey, Chicken Police." Luck walk out of Holly's office with a smirk on her face.

That really hit her the wrong way. It felt like a slap on her face that brought her back to reality.

 _'Holly has a new girlfriend. Holly moved on. Holly left her. Holly...'_ Gail broke her train of thoughts and closed her fists, knuckles turned white, and teeth clenched.

She followed Luck's movement with her eyes full of wrath. As soon as Luck was out of sight, she turned back to Holly, and looked her straight in the eye, emotions all tucked away. What she saw shocked her. She expected to see guilt or sadness or softness or even a bit of a caring look but that's not there, nothing near to any of that.

She saw the wall, the impenetrable wall similar to what she has; the wall that deflects any emotional attacks and enclose any display of emotion. The only difference was that Holly seems to have a better one than hers. The soft warm smile that was directed to Luck a while ago was totally gone, like it has disseminated to thin air. That's when she realized that this is not the Holly she used to know. She is not her Holly. She looked exactly like her but the aura, her persona was totally, completely, different. This Holly is foreign to her.

"Officer, what can I do for you?"

"Officer Wills, give the evidence to Dr. Stewart." Never losing eye contact with Holly. In return, Holly's didn't waiver. Dave gave the evidence carefully and return to Gail's side like she was some protective barrier. Gail then faced Dave.

"Return here later for the results. Let's go." with that, she made her way out of the premises and Dave hurriedly follow in tow.

-START OF FLASHBACK-

 _"Gail? Hey! You're not listening." Holly slap her on the arm and glared._

 _"Oh! I am listening. Believe me. I am." Gail replied dreamily._

 _"Oh yeah? How many liters of water a day do we lose just by breathing?"_

 _"About half a liter." Holly smirked. As soon as Gail noticed the victorious smirk, she knew that she lose this argument._

 _"What?" She eyed her cautiously._

 _"You're not listening at all." and Holly started to laugh._

 _"Yes, I am." Gail stubbornly answered._

 _"Really Gail? I just obvious caught you and you're still gonna deny it. I'm not talking about water loss at all. If you are listening, you would demand an explanation how that question will prove that you are listening."_

 _She knew it! She knew there was something fishy._

 _"Whatever." Gail replied with a huff. Holly stopped laughing and smiled, admiring the cute grumpy Gail on display._

 _"Now, Sweetie, this is the part where you tell me what's been distracting you." Holly reached out and caressed her arm. Gail nibbled her lower lip and look at anything other than Holly._

 _"Gail." Holly looked at her expectantly._

 _"It's nothing." Holly gave her the cut-the-crap head tilt._

 _"It's stupid." Holly sighed._

 _"I won't laugh at you." She smiled at Gail and she can't help but smile back._

 _Just seeing that warm smile on Holly's face makes Gail also warm inside. She wonders how she got so lucky. To have Holly as her girlfriend, is more than she ever expected to have and could ever ask for. She have different kinds of smile. Her comforting smile, her teasing smile, her greeting smile and so much more. One of Gail's favorite smiles is her nerdy smile. It is when she talks about nerdy stuff. She just look so cute and bubble like a 10year old kid. The best thing about those smiles is that they are usually just for her. Yes she was selfish but in her defensive, Holly mostly just showed it when they were alone. She smiled at others, yes, but they are usually her friendly or professional smile, sometimes comforting smile. She always made fun of Holly whenever she talks nerd and now it's part of Holly that she adores so much. Admitting it will entitle a lifetime of teasing, so no, she won't admit it._

 _"Gail. Gail! You're distracted. Again." Holly frowned at her. Gail just smiled and gave her a peck._

 _Holly just sighed knowing Gail wants her to let it go. So she smiled back and changed the topic._

-END OF FLASHBACK-

The ride back to the station was a disaster. Dave tried to pry some information from her about the scene in Holly's office. Her totally off mood didn't help either. She's sure that the rookie will not show his face to her for weeks, maybe months, unless necessary.

"That was fast. Where's the result?" Gail heard Traci as she entered the station.

"Nothing yet. I just gave it to Dr. Stewart. I will send the rookie there when the results are out." Traci's raised her eyebrows.

"I remember telling you to stay there and wait for the result."

 _'Shit. I totally forgot that.'_ Her look must have said it all cause Traci didn't lecture her she just sighed.

"I need you to go back there, Gail." And Traci started to walk away. She was about to protest and make some lame excuse but Chris blocked Traci and volunteered in her behalf. Gail eyed him suspiciously, as he exit the station.


	4. Chapter 4

Normal POV

Holly heard a knock and looked up from the evidence delivered by Gail.

"Hey." Said Chris.

"Officer Diaz. What can I do for you?" Holly replied as she stands up straighter.

"I'm here for the result on the evidence delivered by Gail."

"I'm still working on it." It was the only reply he got as she starts working on the evidence again.

An awkward silence suddenly fell inside the room. The noise coming from outside the lab was the only sound that echoed through the room. The heavy tension surrounds them. It's like a battle of endurance of who can last this uneasy feeling longer. It didn't take long for Chris to give in.

"Uh…so how are you?" Chris seems to hate this kind of atmosphere.

"Good." Holly replied not looking up.

"Good. That's good." Chris nodded uncomfortably. Another silence.

"Seriously, Holly. How are you?" Holly still didn't look up but sighed.

"Officer, I'm trying to work here. I appreciate your effort for small talks but it won't be necessary. If you feel the need for it you're free to take a coffee break. I won't rat you out to your superiors."

"Holly…"

" _Officer. Diaz_." This time Holly looked up. She eyed Chris like she was challenging him to continue. Chris was offended by her cutting him off.

"What's going on with you? 4 years was a long time and you change, a lot. What happened to you?"

"I suggest that you take up my offer and have that coffee break." Holly was about to go back to work when Chris speak up again but this time with concern.

"What happened, Holly? You could have been away for a long time but it's still me. You could still talk to me."

"Officer, I want to finish this fast and I know you do too, so please take a break and allow me to go back to work." It's evident that Holly is trying to keep a straight face and went back to work.

"Holly…I don't know what happened between you and Gail that made you…do what you do but this. This is not you. You're not…" Holly suddenly dropped everything and glared at him.

"Not what?! Sweet? Optimistic? Pitiful?" She scoffed.

"Oh, sorry. Do miss the sweet, optimistic, pitiful, naïve, Holly?" She continued full of sarcasm.

"What are you talking about?! Where's all this hate coming from? Why are you being so hard and horrible? It's like we've never been friends." Chris said matching Holly's anger. Holly flinched at the last comment.

"Friends." Holly said like she's tasting the word on her mouth. She then shakes her head and sighed, trying to calm her nerves.

"I don't have time for this drama. I do my job, you do yours. Let's keep things professional, _Officer Diaz_." They seem to silently agree that it was the end of their conversation as he walked out of the lab and Holly finally went back to work.

Gail's POV

Getting drunk, that's what you're supposed to do in a day like this and that's exactly what you're gonna do. Your friends watch you with horrified looks as you down shot after shot. Who cares about what they're thinking? They wouldn't understand you anyway. People said that drinking doesn't solve anything, yeah right. To you it does. It solves your problem in thinking too much about Holly and her new girlfriend.

 _'Is she new or are they together for a long time already?'_ You shake the thought away and continue drinking.

You can see them nudge each other, pushing one another to talk to you. Losers.

"Gail, I think you need to slow down there." Andy said, cautiously.

"Fuck off, McNally." You retort back before you down another shot.

"We know that something is wrong with you today. You can talk to us you know. We're your friends."

"The only thing _wrong_ is me choosing the _wrong_ people to hang out with." Another shot. Andy just sighed. They all seem to get the message and left you alone to play Get Drunk and Drop. When all shots were gone you look at the bar, judging if you should buy your next batch of shots or make someone buy it for you, then you saw Chris approach the bar.

 _'Now that's the person I'm waiting to see.'_ You stood up, easily. The alcoholic haven't kicked in yet.

"Chris!" That came out louder than you intended. He's eyes scanned the room searching for the source then stopped on you.

"Hey." He awkwardly looked away.

"Don't hey me. Start talking." You sat on the stool next to him and order another set of shots.

"Sorry for not telling you. I was just trying to protect you." You raised your eyebrows at this.

"Protect me. How is not telling me and making me jump head first without me knowing what's waiting for me protecting me?"

"Protecting you from this. I don't like seeing you like this, drinking until you're knocked out. Please stop it Gail." He looked at her pleading and worried.

"Does Steve know?" Keeping you face straight and not meeting his eyes. You don't know why you ask when it is so obvious that he does. Maybe you were hoping that he knew better, that he won't keep something this important from you. You see Chris nod from the corner of your eyes, breaking your hope. Anger bubbling inside you.

"I can handle myself." And you start drowning yourself with shots.

"Gail." You ignored him and carried on.

Normal POV

Gail woke up with a terrible headache. She feels like someone hit her with a ton of brick. The bright shine of sunlight illuminating the room made things worse. She grab a pillow and used it to block the light.

"Hey there gorgeous. Not so good morning I assume. Hope you remember last night 'cause we had a lot of fun." Gail stiffen.

 _'What the fuck! Who is that?'_ She didn't move and pretended to still be asleep.

When she heard footsteps and closing of the door, she immediately sat up and looked around. Wrong move. As the light hit her eyes again, a sharp pain run through her head that made her hissed. She tried to look around and found herself in a somehow familiar place. She doesn't know why but she is pretty sure she's been here before. With the feeling of hammer hitting her head, she was having a hard time remembering, not only the place but also last night. She remembered singing karaoke and some dancing and Holly, but everything else is a blur. She search for her phone and pat the bed. That's when she noticed that she's only in her underwear.

 _'Shit! Shit! Shit! This is not happening. Oh, god.'_

She hurriedly stood up and search for her clothes. When she was a shirt away from getting dress, the door flew open.

"Oh, shot! I'm sorry. I thought you were still asleep."

Gail turned to see a woman holding a tray of breakfast, with her eyes closed. She's totally screwed. The woman looks a lot like Holly. Not totally a look-alike but similar features, brunette, tan skinned, glasses, well-built. Damn!

 _'Why am I always running into Holly look-alike's. Totally screwed.'_ You breathe in and out, calming yourself.

"You close your eyes like you've haven't seen me naked." She opened her eyes and placed the tray on the desk

"As expected, you don't remember anything." She offered a plate of omelet and a toast of bread. Gail cringed at the sight of eggs.

"I don't eat eggs."

"Oh. Ok. More for me then. This is the only thing I could offer you aside from coffee. Sorry." And she starts to dig in. Gail just shrugged and took the coffee.

"So what exactly happened?" Gail asked warily.

"First, I want to assure you that nothing happened last night. I mean nothing happened in that bed last night." She seem to noticed Gail's relief at the revelation and chuckled.

"But hey, your loss not mine." And she smiled smugly at Gail. Gail rolled her eyes. Big mistake as it trigger another shot of pain to her head.

"There is also a pill there on the tray, for your hangover."

"Thanks." Gail took the pill and pop it in her mouth.

"What's up with you and drinking. Whenever we meet you were always drunk. Not that I'm complaining, after last night, totally not complaining"

"Wait what? _Whenever_ we meet? You mean we met before?" Gail's frowned in confusion.

"You don't remember me? Wow. Am I not that worth remembering? That hurts you know." Gail just eyed her, trying her best to remember.

"Seriously? After you ruined my date and official broke my relationship that I was, quote and quote with all caps and bold letters, trying to save on that day. You really are something else." Gail's eyes widen as she remembered that very embarrassing scene.

"Remember me now?" The woman nodded approvingly.

"Yeah. Sorry about that." Gail felt more foolish now.

The woman smiled at her. She can't help but compare it to Holly's. Her one-sided mischievous smile has a hint of amusement but not teasing and it made Gail feel, weirdly, at ease. As for Holly, almost every smile has a touch of warmth that covers her heart and slowly flows throughout her body.

"Nah. I'm cool. Besides, I think last night was enough compensation for it." Gail eyed her, knowing that there are still things she haven't told her.

"Let's just cut this introduction and tell me what exactly happened last night, and don't miss any detail." She chuckled, amused by Gail bossy attitude.

"Ok. I was bored and lonely so I thought since you owe me big time I decided that I should make use of it and mess with you. Surprisingly, you answered it quite immediately and you just told me to pick you up at the black penny. It is harder to find than how you made it sound on the phone, like it was a landmark out on display" And that one-sided smile was back on her face and Gail can't help but smile back.

She told her how Gail rock the dance floor at a gay bar and dance with almost everyone but each and every one of them back off as she starts spewing stuff about the do's and don'ts in dating her like a job description with a long list of requirements. When no one else wants to dance with Gail anymore, she dragged her to the dance floor and, both intoxicated, it didn't take long for them to start making out which led them to the woman's apartment.

"It wasn't all clear to me too but we somehow make it to my room and started removing each other's clothes. Everything is going great and amazing until…" She paused and watched Gail.

"…you call someone else name, Harry or something."

 _'Holly.'_ Gail kept a straight face as she carry on with the story.

"You may be hot and I'm lonely and down to a one night stand but I'm not that desperate to sleep with someone who's imagining someone else. I won't let someone else take credit to all my bed skills." She grinned at Gail. Gail was grateful for this woman's effort to make this awkward conversation lighter.

"Fair enough, but hey, your loss not mine." Gail jabbed back that made the woman laugh heartily.

"You're waiting for an opportunity to throw that back at me, don't you?" The woman said, still laughing.

"You, not remembering anything from last night, I'm guessing you also don't remember my name. Ann. Ann Maxwell." She offered her hand to Gail waiting to be acknowledged.

"Ann Maxwell? As in the drunk that pass out in her sister's car, in front of another person's house?" Gail's eyebrows rose to her hairline. Now the familiar room makes sense to her. She definitely looks better than the wrecked version of her, no wonder she didn't recognized her.

"How did you know that? Who are you?" Ann took back her hand, suddenly alarmed by this, so Gail immediately explained.

"I'm a police officer. My partner and I brought you here when we found you knock out in your car out of nowhere." Gail watch as her face changed from alarmed, to confused, and then relief.

"Thank you for that. Hmm…are you sure you didn't just stalk me?" She joked and eyed Gail teasing.

"And you're the one who called me and brought me into your apartment." Laughter filled the room.

Gail is starting to like this woman. After all the coincidence meetings, she feels like it was not just sheer luck and she's sure this won't be the last time moment they'll share together.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters here but the plot and errors are all mine :D

AN: Thank you for all the wonderful reviews and support! I know this one is a bit short but I still hope you will enjoy reading it :)

Gail's POV

There seems to be a silent agreement between you and Holly to avoid each other. Weeks had passed without having your paths crossed and it gives you mix feelings. You don't want to see her, definitely. You don't want anything to do with her anymore. You are mad at her for leaving you with only just a note, not letting you have a say on the relationship. You don't want to experience it all over again and you're not ready to forgive. She left you out of the blue and now she returns again, also without warning. Well, she's not back _back_ but you still need to work with her, probably once a week and you can't avoid each other forever. It's inevitable.

Out of all this anger you feel there is also some part of you wishing that you will accidentally run into her, or just get a glimpse of her passing by. You want to see her, look at her and register all the new features she now have, the small wrinkles on her face, the new scars on her arms, the additional rings under her eyes, but damn, she still looks perfect, so _so_ beautiful.

You learned that she's been working with 15 Division for months already so it's really a shock that you've only seen each other once. Its either she knows you work here and avoided you or someone else prevents the both of you to cross paths. If someone did prevent you two to see each other, there are only two people who can and will do that, Steve and Chris. They are the only people in 15 that knows about your history with Holly. Others knew about the story, about the woman who left you on the engagement party, but they didn't know it was the great pathologist, Dr. Holly Stewart.

You keep running that one encounter through your mind, wondering about the kiss you witnessed. Is Luck her girlfriend? How long have they been dating? Maybe she's just a fling or something, but they planned on seeing each other that night. Maybe they even spent the entire night together. That thought makes your stomach turn. You felt sick just thinking about it, but what really occupied you mind more is about Holly. Her aura felt so different. The way she looked at you, the way she spoke to you was so different.

You two don't fight often but when you do, it will be like two storms crash on each other. There will be shouting and tears but you talk about it. Holly always says what's on her mind, well she loves to talk. You, on the other hand, were the hard headed one that always runs away from confrontation and express yourself with sarcasm and snark. This case is different and you don't know how you will handle it. If you want answers, you will need to do the asking, and you're not use to that. And it disturbs you that you don't know what's on Holly's mind. You are having a hard time reading her face during the encounter, and now, every day, another question adds to your list making you more confuse.

 _'Well, today will surely be a long day.'_ You sighed and tried to shake Holly off of your mind.

Holly's POV

It's been a quiet day in the morgue. Most of the bodies that arrived were from accidents and were only delivered as part of the required procedure. You should be happy about it and you feel bad about not being happy that there are no homicide cases, but you need something to keep your mind busy. You need a distraction, to keep your mind off the blonde cop. Ever since your encounter, you've been weighing down your options, run or stay. You want to run as far away from her, Chris, Steve, anyone that reminds you of Gail, especially Elaine but you can't. You've run away from this for far too long and it is time to face your demons. Maybe it's your pride or the urge to slap it on their faces that you are not the same Holly Stewart any more, that you are much stronger, confident, and not to be pitied or protected, so you try your best to keep yourself from running.

So here you are, sitting in your office, nothing better to do than to think about the blonde cop. You don't understand why you are making a big deal of not seeing her again for weeks when you survived not seeing her for years. It's not really surprising that you haven't seen her, she hates you and would avoid going to the morgue but she really goes to great lengths just to avoid you and it was very much obvious. Whenever you see that she is one of the officers in charge of the case, Chris will be the one strolling into your lab.

 _'Making her boyfriend deal with me.'_ You scoffed.

The only thing you're thankful about it is that, Chris got your message clearly about keeping things professional. He already have a daily routine, deliver evidence, take a coffee break, check if the result is up, if not go somewhere else, then go back again.

A knock on your door disturbed your train of thoughts. You look up and were really glad to see Jen by the door.

"Hey," You said.

"Is this an official visit or...not?" you added with a sly smile. She smirked at you.

"You know my visits have never been _just_ official. A hidden agenda always lurking around." She wiggled her eyebrows and you can't help but laugh.

"So what will be your excuse for today, Officer?"

"Do I really need a reason to see my gorgeous _girlfriend_?" Jen answered while slowly walking towards you.

"Gorgeous? Wow, I would really like to meet this _girlfriend_ of yours." You're both trying to keep a straight face but the twitch on each other's lips is enough to break you to laughter.

The thing between the two of you has just recently been official and so far things are looking good. Jen is the first person you got along with when you first started here. You two have a lot in common. She enjoys sports and outdoor activities like camping or hiking. Jogging together in the morning became a daily routine. She is not a fan of healthy foods but you know she tries. Just like you, she likes to keep her things and herself neat. She makes sure that not a stand of hair will fall to her face while she's on duty.

"So, _girlfriend_ , can I interest you with a couple of drinks tonight?" You smiled at her silliness and shake your head in amusement.

"I would love that, as long as it's on you." You grinned at her.

"Ah, playing that card already, I see. So you just made me your girlfriend to get free drinks." She tooted playfully at you.

"Basically." You shrugged and answered back dead pan.

"Ouch! But hey, if that will keep you to stay with me then so be it." And the two of you just laugh at each other's silliness.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters here but the plot and errors are all mine :D

A/N: Apologies for the followers, for making you wait for so long. I know a lot of you are getting impatient for that Golly heartbreaking engagement party flashback, but please bare with me. I'm still looking for the right moment of revelation and I love slow slow, _very slow_ , burn stories so...there. And I also change the Rating to M, just to be safe. Hope you enjoy this one :)

* * *

Holly's POV

This morning felt so cliché, birds chirping, sun ray illuminates the room nudging you to wake up. In addition to the cliché feeling, soft arms wrap around your waist, the warm steady breathes on the back of your neck. The only difference, another woman, another girlfriend, another victim of your messed up life.

You untangle yourself from Jen. You pick up some clothes on the floor and started your morning routine, put your jogging attire, your sneakers, and your earphones. Before you left, you look yourself up on the mirror. You scoffed at what you see. Holly. Just Holly. Empty and cold.

You had a lot of short term relationships since your epic failed relationship. It usually lasted 2 to 4 months. Lucky if it reached 6 months. You don't know what they all see in you. What attracted them to you. You scoffed again and shake all the thoughts away. You walk out of your apartment and started your morning jog.

Jen usually joins but you feel like you need sometime alone and something to release all your frustration from the latest events.

It's been months since you started your job here in Toronto and you noticed a lot of changes. That's when you realized how long you've been away. 4 years. 4 years of running. 4 years of hiding from all the memories. 4 years of forgetting. 4 years of moving on. 4 years of trying to move forward. 4 _fucking_ years and it doesn't seem to be enough. As soon as you saw her, all the memories and the pain came crashing back. The forgetting, the moving on, and moving forward seem useless, and you feel like you're back to the starting line.

\- START OF FLASHBACK-

 _Elaine is seating across from you in your living room. The two of you are currently having an eyeing contest. Heavy air surrounds you, making it hard to breath. Silence echoing in the room. Your stubbornness makes you stay on you ground and not cower away from Elaine. Not letting her see any sign of fear or weakness. One thing you've learned in being part of Gail's life is how to deal with her mother. Show fear and you will be eaten alive._

 _"You are back." Elaine said, and you feel the tension increase._

 _"Yes, I am." You replied with the same emotionless voice._

 _"For good?"_

 _"I couldn't answer that accurately. I'm here because of the job so - "_

 _"So you will leave if there is a better job?" Elaine watches you as you try to search for the desired answer in her face. You know she caught your shaking finger and she's now making her offence, but you refuse to give in._

 _"I won't leave if I have reasons to stay and if_ _ **I**_ _want to stay." Still holding on to the last courage you have and not look away._

 _"I'm here to make an offer. I know that you are currently working with 27 and 15 Divisions. I don't know if you are aware but my daughter is in 15. Here's a job contract transferring you to a different city, same job, same salary, same benefits." She placed an envelope on the table and pushed it towards you._

 _"There is also a prepared apartment almost similar to this one. The transferring of all your belongings will be taken care of." She continued, authoritative. You frowned at her statement. You know there is only one answer she expects to hear and you refuse to give her the satisfaction._

 _You don't hate her, in fact you like her fairly enough. She's not the one who hurt you, her daughter did. You were not use to being the target of her fury and now you understand why she is doing all this, and this makes you admire her more. If Gail only knew how much her mother loves her. You feel something in your heart like a déjà vu. Warmth. You have no idea why and where it came from but it is surely there now. You shake the feeling away and try to remain cold in the eyes Elaine._

 _"With all due respect, Superintended Peck, I understand why you are doing this. I know you are trying to protect your daughter but she is not a teenager anymore and so am I. I can be professional on this job and I know she also will be." You in an as-a-matter-in-fact attitude._

 _"I appreciate your offer but I don't think it will be necessary." You politely but firmly rejected and push the envelope back to her. You are done running from this, so you won't leave until it's been dealt with._

 _Elaine just look at the envelope then looks back at you._

 _"You are in shock, I understand, so I will give you time to decide." She stood up, leaving the envelope, and you followed._

 _"It's nice to have you back, Dr. Stewart." She said, for formality sake, as she exits the door and turns back to you._

 _"It's also nice to see you again, Superintended Peck." You replied before closing the door._

\- END OF FLASHBACK-

You are starting to second-guess your decision. A lot of doubts running through your mind.

 _'Maybe it still isn't the right time to face her. Maybe it will be better to just accept Elaine's offer. The offer is not bad at all. Maybe dealing with this issue will only make things worse – No! I need this, I need to let this out. I need closure and I know Gail needs it too.'_

And now, you are tired. You are tired of running and hiding. Boost with a new determination, you run another lap.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Gail's POV

You woke up with a head crushing noise, a banging on the door. Whoever is on the other side of it would need to run fast if they want to live another day.

"Gail?" You heard someone call, accompanied by the door pounding.

"Fuck off!" you shouted, still not having the energy to move another muscle. Your head is aching big time, the feeling of dizziness is still there, and the wisp of alcohol on your breathe is too strong to ignore.

"Gail, are you ok?" Now you recognize the voice, Dov.

"You got home pretty late and I can smell the alcohol right through the door, so I'm guessing you're not." He continued after a minute of no reply. You just want him to leave you alone.

"Ok, suit yourself." You can hear him walk away, and you thank whoever god that made it happen.

You tried to go to sleep but pain in your head and the sun shining bright on your face prevents you to. After a lot of tossing and turning under your sheets, you make your way out of your room, prepared yourself a cup of coffee, and sat on the couch.

Day off.

You sighed.

 _'This is gonna be a long day.'_ You sighed again.

You look around, trying to figure out a way to keep yourself busy.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Holly's POV

As you walk into her apartment, the aroma of coffee and the sweet smell of pancakes hit your nose. You close your eyes and savor it. Your mind going through a thousand memories, a thousand memories of waking up with the same smell spreading around your apartment but there is only one source. Gail. And you falter.

You can still get out and pretend to run another lap but something is keeping you from doing so, and you know exactly what it is. The bubble. The bubble that you want to stay in for as long as you can. You only allow yourself to be engulfed by it every once a year.

"Holly?" You heard Jen call, popping the bubble and your thoughts.

"Here." You assured her.

She appeared in front of you. She walked slowly, adding more sway on her hips. A smirk plastered on her face. You let yourself enjoy her little show and run your eyes from her face to her legs, and you realize she is wearing your shirt. You smirked back, totally pleased.

 _'Why am I even thinking of Gail when I have a very gorgeous woman right in front of me? Stupid. Very stupid Holly.'_

She wraps her arms around your neck, and you wrap yours around her waist. Her face close to yours, as you feel her hot breathes.

"I have two menus for breakfast, pancakes and coffee or…couch and _me_. Which one would you like to be served first?" a cunning smile on her face.

You hummed as if thinking about it. Your hand slowly trail up and down under her( _your_ ) shirt.

"I like my breakfast hot and soft…so I guess…pancakes and coffee?" Her sly smile suddenly gone. The smirk on your face never faltering.

"But…I _love_ it sexy and smooth." You said together with a wink. She laughed at you playfulness. You grab her ass, letting her wrap her legs around you as you kiss her fervently and carry her to your couch.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Gail's POV

You stare at the ceiling as you catch your breathe. Now you remember why you hate running. It's draining, sweaty, and painful. You can feel you muscles contracting, your throat tightening, and your face numb. Note to self, exercising is never an option for distraction. Never again.

*Inhale*

*Exhale*

You close your eyes to try and relax. You regretted it the second you did.

Holly.

Why did she have to return? She should have stayed where she's been, where she had hidden all this years. Why did she returned and shake your whole world again?

You hate her, but you hate yourself more for trusting and letting yourself fall for her.

You wish that there is an easy way out of this, a device that could erase your memory of her. You just want to forget, to start over, but you can't because of her. She is like a tree and you're a cat with paws stuck within her roots. You can't leave and move forward but you also can't climb and embrace the safety of her trunks. So you are stuck on the same place.

*Inhale*

*Exhale*

You open your eyes and look around.

' _At least, those losers will be happy now that the place is clean.'_

Hate. Day. Off.


End file.
